The present invention relates to an interactive multimedia apparatus usable in combination with a software suite of authoring programs installed in a computing means of a mobile data processing apparatus of the type having a display means and one or more input means.
The present invention is an improvement to the apparatus disclosed by the applicants in International Patent Publication No. WO2003/046913, the contents of which specification are incorporated herein by direct reference.
Electronic mixing software for PC and computer based products is known and there are packages available both commercially and as freeware over the internet. These packages allow users create tracks which contain loops, riffs, beats, one shots or the contents of a CD, track, microphone inputs, video files etc and to mix them together to produce their desired sound output compilation. The user places each selected loop, riff, one shot, video clip, CD output, microphone input etc. in a selected track position along the time axis ruler bar so that they are mixed at that time in the play cycle. The content, which can be WAV, MP3, WMA or any other digital media format being mixed, has been prepared at a recorded tempo and is of a fixed length of time. The desired mix will usually contain multiple tracks of differing beats, loops, riffs, one shots, voices, video etc.
Most digital mixing software packages allow the user to set up a series of controls and effects for each channel in advance of the mixing process occurring and will also allow some limited global control of the composite mix output. The control and effects are usually applied in advance of the mixing process occurring, but some limited control is allowed during the mixing cycle. Some of the individual track parameters, which are allowed to be altered during the mixing process, would include volume, mute, tempo and tone. Special effects are not normally allowed during the mixing process.
There are many digital software music-editing packages available on the market both commercially and as freeware over the internet. These packages allow the user to edit riffs, loops, beats, one shots, CD outputs and other media context by cut, paste, copy and other known techniques for editing digital content. The editing process requires the user to select a portion of the waveform and reposition or alter the characteristics and parameters of the waveform. The user can change the characteristics of the waveform, add effects, move it or reposition it with the same track, cut and paste it or copy it to a newly created track. The editing process is accomplished by using either a mouse or a keyboard or a combination of both. If the user wishes to use only a segment of a loop, beat, riff, one shot, video clip, microphone input etc they must first pre-edit it and then insert it in a track in its play position along the time axis ruler to be mixed at that predefined time in the mix cycle.
A problem with these known applications is that they are not able to be deployed to devices with limited processing power, and in particular, mobile data processing apparatuses, such as mobile telephones. Further problems arise in the use of mobile phones for such applications due to size restrictions on telephone displays and difficulties in presenting and navigating display information.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an interactive multimedia apparatus for use in a mobile data processing environment which goes some way toward overcoming the above problems, and/or which may provide the public or industry with a useful alternative.